The King Effect
by 12x
Summary: I honestly have no idea where this is going, or what it really is. Shrugs. It's the sequel to Secrets Revealed and In Memory of the Village Idiot.
1. Chapter 1

I slowly set out Arthur's armor onto the table, admiring my work. Nothing from the Battle for Camelot remained. I sat down slowly, pulling out a leather necklace from under my neckerchief. I studied the ring on the end, the way the seal curved and shaped itself. I opened my mind, and let my thoughts wander.

_**I am not nervous.  
>No-<br>because I trust in your destiny.**_

To be able to be that honest, honestly helped me.

_**It's not funny Merlin.  
>No. No no, Arthur is a donkey, what's funny about that?<strong>_

I let out a small laugh. Arthur really was an ass. He's changed, though. He's changed for the better.

_**You know what you need after a hard days hunt?  
>Sleep.<br>A nice cold tankard of mead.**_

I'm glad I didn't protest more. I could have lost so much without knowing it. I smiled as Gwaine entered my mind for a moment.

**_You wouldn't understand, Merlin. You have no idea what it's like to have a destiny... you can't escape.  
>Destinies are troublesome things. You feel trapped? Like your whole life has been planned out for you and you've got no control over anything and sometimes you don't even know if what destiny has decided is really the best thing at all.<em>**

That sparked a memory in Arthur, I know. It wasn't the right one to release the barriers, though.

_**Because I don't understand how anyone would want to hurt their friends.  
>No, you just poison them. You'd do well, Merlin, to stay out of things that do not concern you.<br>Oh, but they do concern me, because they're my friends too, and I'll do whatever it takes to protect them.  
>I would expect nothing less.<strong>_

She noticed, then. How much you did, even if she didn't know the specifics.

_**What was that?  
>A pheasant.<br>A pheasant?  
>A very big one.<strong>_

Another laugh escaped my lips. I suppose I'm a pheasant-lord along with a dragon-lord, then.

**_Oh, cheer up will you? _**  
><strong><em>How is punching me in the arm meant to cheer me up?<em>**  
><strong><em>It works with the knights.<em>**  
><strong><em>Well, they're thick, aren't they?<em>**  
><strong><em>I'm a knight!<em>**  
><strong><em>There you go then.<em>**

Arthur needed that banter as much as I did, I suppose, looking back on it.

**_You know, Merlin, you couldn't keep a secret if your life depended on it!  
>You'd be surprised!<br>What's that supposed to mean?  
>Nothing. <em>**

He'll know in time, again. Then wasn't the time. I'm not that much of an idiot.

**_It's lonely to be more powerful than anyone man you know and have to live like a shadow. To be special and have to pretend that you're a fool. I know how it feels. I understand._**

I sigh. I miss when Arthur knew.

_**Back in the arena, I had you bang to rights, did I not?  
>That was just a game.<br>Oh, a game? Right. I won that game, did I not?  
>No, you didn't. One more minute...<br>One more minute and you both would have been dead! Neither of you won. Your plan was a half-baked disaster and if it was not for that fire, we would all be pushing up daisies.**_

That felt good. To be able to say it and not fear the consequences.

_**You know Merlin, You're the one Arthur should Knight. You're the bravest of them all and he doesn't even know it.**_

I looked up as there was a knock on the door. It opened to reveal Gwaine and Lancelot, both smiling.

"Merlin, come with us." Gwaine's tone was jokingly serious.

I paused. "Why?"

"You need to see this. Now."

I stood up quickly, and followed them. They led me to a balcony overlooking the courtyard. There, crossing said courtyard was Percival, with Arthur thrown over his shoulder. Arthur was struggling, and Elyan was following behind, talking to the frustrated prince.

I almost fell off the balcony at the sight.


	2. Chapter 2

"This isn't fair you know. I'm your Prince. Hell, I'm practically your king. There's no limit on what I could do to you, Percival. No limit. I could hang you. Or behead you. Burn you. Or any other nasty way of dying. I'm not going to, though, Percival, because you're one of my Knights. My knights are supposed to listen to me. They're supposed to do whatever I say. Therefore, I think that you are supposed to listen and do what I say when I tell you to _set. Me. Down_."

I sighed as my continuing lecture had no effect on the Knight below me. I looked up as Elyan came into my view.

"Wake up soon, Arthur. For your sake as much as mine and Percival's, shut up. You were hit by a spell, and we don't know what it did to you. So calm down, let us take you to the king, and let us figure this out, damnit." I stared at Elyan. He's stared right back. I finally stopped struggling when we entered the citadel.

* * *

><p>I can't breathe.<p>

By the Gods, I. cannot. _Breathe._

The look on Arthur's face.

Oh, _Gods._

I slowly recovered from laughing, my curiosity peaking. Why the hell did Percival need to carry the prat? Worry coursed through my veins. I stifled it quickly, quenching it before I could really feel it.

"Let's go see what happened." Lancelot suggests, noticing my train of thought.

"After that, I'm taking you two to the tavern." Gwaine's smile looked positively evil.

* * *

><p>I relaxed in Percival's hold, getting used to the feeling of being carried. I recognized the fact that we were approaching the throne room, yet it did little to ease my mind. Speaking of my mind, thoughts were flying, half formed thoughts and images- memories- flitting across my mind. A woman under, perhaps in water, her smiling at me- at my disbelief. Fire dancing in my hand, the flames cool to the touch. Sitting by the fire, calm despite the roars in the distance. I knew these never happened to me, yet they seem too personal, so cherished, that I cannot bear to think of them as anybody else's.<p>

I closed my eyes as we entered the hall.


End file.
